PonyFans.com

SMU's Jones likes what he sees of freshman LB
10:23 PM CDT on Sunday, August 16, 2009

By CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected]
UNIVERSITY PARK – Ja'Gared Davis, a true freshman from Crockett, has already made an impression in preseason camp.

Coach June Jones said Saturday that Davis (6-1, 206) is pushing for a starting spot at linebacker. He's also expected to contribute on special teams. "He's what we thought he was when we saw him on film," Jones said.

Briefly ...
UNIVERSITY PARK – Defensive end Margus Hunt missed practice Saturday as a precautionary move after tweaking his knee Friday in special-teams drills. SMU has today off, which will give him time to rest the injury. ... SMU senior Mouhammad Faye scored 16 points as Senegal beat Mali 74-63 to finish seventh in the FIBA Africa Championships. Faye averaged 17.3 points a game, seventh best in the tournament, as Senegal finished 5-4.

It's good to read that the incoming freshmen are pushing last year's starters for PT, it can only make the SMU program stronger and competitive this season. Coach Klemm stepped in as a freshman and started all four years in Hawaii. So it's possible for a talented freshman to break into the starting line up that was basically freshmen and sophomores last season.

if he is good he will play at least some games

I just hope that this is not an indication that our LBs are so weak that a freshman is able to challenge for a starting job. I really don't think that is the case, but I am just so wary of our D again this year. We need playmakers.

From the sound of what PonyPride has told us from JJ's post-practice quotes, the coaches apparently feel like they've found some real players at LB in this year's class. Hope that's right.